Fretless - one box effects options

[Soledad]

I'm no expert on effects, have a few pedals on a board. I'm interested in a single unit effects solution for my fretless - I don't need to model various amps etc, but just want chorus, octave, maybe phaser - so combined effects rather than modelling - seen a bit about Pod Go and a lot said about Helix but I'm not sure either is really right for what I want. Or am I better off with a few pedals on a board? I already have a Boss Chorus and a SansAmp with the para-mids so I may be part way there - but a single box may be cleaner, better...?

Would appreciate users' insights.

[ezbass]

Tech21 Bass Fly rig or the Valeton clone, the Dapper would cover you there.

[uk_lefty]

Get an Ashdown amp like a Rootmaster and with a two button footswitch the amp will give you octave and drive. I think it was Chowny who did a one box chorus and reverb pedal. I can't remember the name of it but I think the design had a bloke in an old diving suit on it? That's two very much wanted fretless effects in one box. I pretty much always have reverb on with fretless and obviously chorus is a must have option for fretless too.

[pete.young]

Zoom B1 Four or one of the older MS-60B would do that job nicely.

[itu]

Some obvious and some not so obvious suggestions:

- Daring Audio Phat Beam for comp and LPF

- an auto wah, like Subdecay or IE Xerograph

- an octaver, like the small Cog T-16 or Valeton OC-10

- a decent distortion or fuzz combined with the octaver and the comp would make... noise!

[Hellzero]

This :

 

[paul_5]

1 hour ago, pete.young said:

Zoom B1 Four or one of the older MS-60B would do that job nicely.

I use my ms60b for chorus and phaser (and synth patches) but the octaver isn’t great; the pitch shift set to an octave down is better.

[Soledad]

Thanks for all the info / help. My Ashdown days are behind me @uk_lefty! Fairly invested in PJB with the Genz head, might be diverted by a GR 210 but trying to resist for now.

@ezbass - Tech21 Bass Fly - looks promising, bit complicated looking and it isn't pretty but if it does what I want I could manage!

@pete.young Zoom B1 Four or MS60B - they look pretty good, both available. If either is good for chorus + phaser I could add an octaver maybe?
But then I am some way there going the pedal-board route (Boss chorus). I'd quite like to get away from complex signal paths, lots of jack leads etc.

I'm thinking the B1 Four sounds closest - can it give me decent octaver? Any users of B1 Four or MS-60B, user experiences please??

[Daz39]

17 hours ago, uk_lefty said:

Get an Ashdown amp like a Rootmaster and with a two button footswitch the amp will give you octave and drive. I think it was Chowny who did a one box chorus and reverb pedal. I can't remember the name of it but I think the design had a bloke in an old diving suit on it? That's two very much wanted fretless effects in one box. I pretty much always have reverb on with fretless and obviously chorus is a must have option for fretless too.

The Chowny Bass-mosphere!

[Soledad]

5 hours ago, Daz39 said:

The Chowny Bass-mosphere!

Found it, thanks. Thing is I have chorus (Boss) and reverb/delay pedal (Harley Benton but surprisingly OK I thought) so I need to add octaver - and ideally that lot in one box. Don't think the Chowny does octaver trick?

[Daz39]

7 minutes ago, Soledad said:

Found it, thanks. Thing is I have chorus (Boss) and reverb/delay pedal (Harley Benton but surprisingly OK I thought) so I need to add octaver - and ideally that lot in one box. Don't think the Chowny does octaver trick?

Chowny also do the Pitchcraft, but yeah, you’re getting into multiple boxes

Edited September 18, 2021 by Daz39

[Bunion]

Technically after you fix the pedals to the board it’s become one unit, stick a cover over them all and hey presto a ‘Soledad unimatrix multifx unit’ 

[Al Krow]

8 hours ago, Soledad said:

 

@pete.young Zoom B1 Four or MS60B - they look pretty good, both available. If either is good for chorus + phaser I could add an octaver maybe?
But then I am some way there going the pedal-board route (Boss chorus). I'd quite like to get away from complex signal paths, lots of jack leads etc.

I'm thinking the B1 Four sounds closest - can it give me decent octaver? Any users of B1 Four or MS-60B, user experiences please??

 

Another +1 for the Zoom B1-4: it will give you a very decent chorus and phaser.

 

The MS60B is also good but, having had both, IMO the B1-4 has a much better user interface, excellent built-in tuner plus headphone amp capability, useful drum machine and to cap it off is cheaper! 

 

I don't particularly rate the octave down / up on the Zoom pedals, they are ok but nothing special. Here, I'd recommend a Boss OC-5, which is outstanding and will deliver the classic OC-2 sound on octave down plus additional octave up (either alone or simultaneously - try doing that on a Zoom and you'll get a mush!) If you can get a Valeton OC-10 that's great value on the octave-down front, but they are pretty thin on the ground since they stopped production.

[Soledad]

9 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Another +1 for the Zoom B1-4: it will give you a very decent chorus and phaser.

Dawn patrol on Reverb found me a mint used B1-Four, fifty quid free shipping. A few bob more than a set of flats... worth a go.
I've been using my TC 550 with the 2 toneprint channels in - I do like their chorus and 2nd print is phaser at the moment (although you can only use one print at a time), but don't like the amp. So I'll pass that on. Report back on the B1. May take a while, the manual is a big read.

[Boodang]

I play fretless and have been making changes to my pedal board recently. I've been particularly impressed with the Aguilar pedals; the Octamizer has a very pleasing tone (maybe because it's analogue?) and the Grape Phaser has been quite the surprise hit. I know some have said the tracking on the octamizer is not the best but I haven't found it to be a problem especially as I'm using it to produce a thicker organic tone rather than a synthy oc2 type sound and the filter control can take you from a smooth octave addition to something with a bit more grit. The grape phaser is very funky, especially with the use of the color control. 

To top it off, I got a TC Electronic Spectracomp to see if one of toneprints would do as a 'set it and leave it'  arrangement.... loaded up the Nathan East settings and now it's on permanently. 

Not a one pedal solution I know, and not the cheapest, but I think it works particularly well with fretless if you're going for an organic sound.

[Soledad]

@Boodang - tone you describe is probably v close to what I am chasing - not too much of anything and a kind of analogue warmth (I know, not one analogue wave in sight). I'm going to have a play with the B1-4, at the price it will surely be limited but I'm looking for small amounts of effect, might get me close.
Otherwise back to my pedal board and add a pedal or two. I do like the TC chorus toneprint - wonder what the 3rd Dimension chorus is like.

[Daz39]

EHX Epitome, if no one’s mentioned it.

Combines reverb, chorus, flanger and octaver.

[Soledad]

1 hour ago, Daz39 said:

EHX Epitome, if no one’s mentioned it.

Combines reverb, chorus, flanger and octaver.

Damn - that looks good!! Would need to know it sounds good too, but a fretless dream in a single box. I'll investigate further - thanks for tip.